I saw the Monkeys

Hey everybody! How are you all doing? I hope everything is going just fine and dandy. Crazy news about Japan! I'm glad Blake is ok. I've been wondering ever since I heard but I got the good news today. This last week was a pretty rough one for us and the whole zone. A lot of traveling went on in the zone for training meetings and stake conference was this week so we turned in some pretty low numbers but we know we can do better. The zone has been doing amazing lately. We have been averaging over 20 lessons as a zone for quite a few weeks going and President Clegg said that hasn't been done in this stake for decades. We are excited and the members are too so thats what is making it work out. Last year we only had 21 baptisms in the stake when we got to December and we already have about 15 this year. Things will be better number wise this week. We had stake conference this week and I loved it. It was a little rough on me though I'll admit. A really shy boy in my ward named Pablo received his mission call to Santiago Chile and he invited us to be there. He was so excited about it and it was fun to watch it happen. We have been letting him come along with us lately to help him get ready and his mom and dad asked me to talk to him a little bit about how the mission is and how it has helped me grow. I told them that I was kind of a shy person before the mission too and that it has helped me a lot. So we have been talking me and him quite a bit in the streets when we go out. We really have lot in common. We've become really good friends in the past few months. He was asked to bear his testimony in stake conference and he thanked the missionaries in his ward for being an example and for working with him. Then he looked at me with a big ol smile and thanked me personally. My face was probably a little red but oh well. He said he knew without a doubt now that this is what he needed to do. It made me feel so good and confirmed to me again that I needed to come to this mission to help someone else even if I didn't know I was helping. Later on in the stake conference the whole congregation stood up to sing "Called to Serve" and I thought I was going to be fine but when I got to the second verse I couldn't do it anymore. The words wouldn't come out haha. I just can't believe its ending and its hard. But I know there is a time for everything too. Today for preparation day we went to Gibraltar to see the monkeys and thats why I am emailing a little late. It was hilarious though. We were soaking wet because it was raining so hard and I have some funny pictures and videos I can send next week. I have one of a monkey sitting right on top of my head. I was wearing a hooded jacket and lets just say its not very clean anymore. It was way fun though. Well I love you all and I know the church is true. I love the gospel so much. Have an awesome week and we'll talk to you soon. Adios!